Senior living centers and communities serve many purposes for residents. Not only do residents receive comfortable housing and medical care in senior living communities, but they also get the opportunity to socialize, enjoy entertainment, and participate in enrichment activities.
Just as senior living centers need technology to support staff communication and caregiving, they need IT solutions to promote resident engagement and socialization. An IT network is needed to support connectivity and communications technologies so residents can take advantage of social activities and entertainment at the senior living center.
When senior living centers partner with a managed IT provider for network services, they can increase network speed and reliability, promoting resident engagement and enhancing quality of life.
Benefits of Senior Living Center Resident Engagement
Residents at senior living communities need opportunities for engagement to combat feelings of loneliness, reduce isolation, and stay active. When residents have access to connectivity and social tools, they can communicate and interact with friends, family members, and other residents.
Technology, such as mobile devices and streaming services, provide opportunities for entertainment and socializing. Residents can listen to music; gather to watch sports events, movies, and television shows; and chat about them with each other. These activities give residents a greater sense of purpose and can even promote better mental health and cognitive function.
With access to communications technology, residents can exchange texts and phone calls with other residents wherever they live in the community. Social networks also provide a means for keeping up with news and trends, as well as engaging through likes, reposts, and comments.
Senior living residents who have more opportunities to engage and participate in activities have a better quality of life, experience greater satisfaction, and are more likely to thrive.
IT Networking Challenges for Senior Living Centers
For residents to take advantage of opportunities for engagement, the senior living community needs to implement a high-speed, reliable network that meets the requirements of communications and entertainment technology.
Senior living communities present unique challenges for the network because they consist of groups of communities that may have separate IT infrastructures. Residents need ways to communicate between communities so they can socialize. This means the network must be robust enough to sustain a connection and support many users over a distance.
To create a satisfying experience for residents, senior living centers must deploy a network with minimum latency and adequate bandwidth. Otherwise, residents will experience frustration when they try to communicate or stream entertainment.
Latency is a delay in communication over the network, caused by a lag in data transmission, which results in buffering during streaming and interference when talking on a mobile device. Bandwidth is the maximum rate of data transfer along a wireless network. When bandwidth is inadequate, the network experiences bottlenecks, making uploading content difficult for residents.
Lack of network coverage can also be an issue, preventing residents from reaching friends and loved ones. They may also miss out on calls from other residents inviting them to events or get-togethers, contributing to a sense of isolation and missing out.
Managed IT for Optimized IT Networks
Senior living communities may be relying on outdated networks and phone systems and may lack the in-house expertise needed to modernize and optimize their network. Working with a managed IT provider that specializes in the network will help a senior living community get on the path to providing residents with the quality of life they need and deserve.
A managed IT provider can assess the current network and come up with a plan for a modern network that satisfies the engagement and entertainment needs of the community. Ideally, the managed IT provider will architect a network that enables seamless connectivity between every part of the community. A modern network will leverage wireless technology and support unified communications while providing the security needed to protect resident privacy.
The partnership between the senior living center and the managed IT provider can extend to staff training, network management, and ongoing network support.
Making Resident Engagement a Priority
The importance of having a high-speed network to support resident engagement and entertainment should not be overlooked. The more obvious network use case is for caregivers to track and communicate with residents so they can provide medical care and promote safety. However, social engagement has an important role in enhancing a sense of overall well-being and satisfaction.
DVD Networks can help your senior living center plan and create a network that meets the entertainment and socialization needs of residents. Recently, we helped a senior living community revamp its communications system as part of our ongoing relationship. [Link to Case Study when developed]
DVD specializes in managed IT services for the networking and communications technologies that promote entertainment and engagement for senior living center residents. We provide resident phone solutions, Wi-Fi networks, resident entertainment packages, and full IT network infrastructure management.
Learn more about how to increase the speed of your senior living center’s IT network. Request a proposal from DVD.
